Variable-speed device



8 Sheets-Sheet 1 l. TORNBERG VARIABLE SPEED DEVICE Oct. 22, 1929.

Filed July so. 1928 n Il Y .wImIw IFN@ Y TIN BY I Hls ATTO 'ma Oct. 22,1929. l, TORNBER-G VARIABLE SPEED DEVICE Filed July 30, 1928 8Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 22, 1929. l, TORNBERG 1,732,247

VARIABLE SPEED DEVICE Filed July 30. 1928 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Oct.22, 1929. l. TORNBERG VARIABLE SPEED DEVICE Filed July 30. 1928 8Sheets-Sheet 4 H 5 ATTO Oct. 2,2, 1929. TORNBERG 1,732,247

VARIABLE SPEED DEVICE Filed July 30. 1928 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Pff-a'INVENTOR /5/001? MFA/65H6 I ATTO E S.

Oct. 22, 1929. l. 'roRNBERG VARIABLE SPEED DEVICE Filed July 30. 1928 8Sheets-Sheet 6 I bw INVENTOR l? TMA/ERC B I l `7/ n E s Oct. 22, 1929.

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l. TORNBERG 1,732,247

VARIABLE SPJSED DEVICE Filed July 30. 1928 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Oct. 22,1929. -roRNBERG VARIABLE SPEED DEVICE Filed July 30. 1928 8 Sheets-Sheet8 INVENTOR Hl ATTO EYS Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES ISIDORTORNBEBG, OF IPLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY VARIABLE-SPEED DEVICE vAppumtnm medJuly ao,

This invention relates to certain improvements in variable speed powertransmission devices used 4in connection with any mechanism where acontinuous uninterrupted transmission oi' power is desired between adriving device, such as an electric motor or other source of power, anda driven member or machine, and where the variation of speed isaccomplished progressively either to decrease the speed, bring thedriven shaft or member to a standstill and reverse the speed, or toincrease the speed above that of the source of power and to decrease thesame through a standstill of the driven member and also to reverse therotation of the driven melnber..

Among the special objects of my invention is the capability oftransmitting power in either direction relative to the direction ofrotation of the driving member, the driving member or shaft and thedriven member or shaft being in alignment with each other, so that thevariable speed device ma be inserted in a continuous shaft withoutaterally' located devices for transmitting the power from the speedchanging device away from the shaft and back to the shaft.

A further object of the invention is to produce a speed changing devicein which the driving members or connections come into actionsuccessively without relative motion, so that whatever teeth or engagingmembers are y employed between the connecting members,

there is no tendency for the teeth to become worn or the frictionengaging members or the plates thereof to become abraded.

A further object of the invention is to provide a direct transmissionpower continuously throughout the entire range of speeds forward as wellas backward as concerns the driven member.

Aside from the transmission mechanism described and claimed in my priorPatent No. 1,282,495, issued October 22, 1918, the devices by which ithas been sought to obtain variable speeds in a driven member may bedivided into three classes z-Frictional devices in which an adjustablefriction roll or belt has been used to vary the speeds by acting betweena drivingl and a driven rotating member; secondly, devices wherein thepower is 1928. Serial No. 296,149.

transmitted through successive impulses by i giving the driving memberan oscillating motion whereby ratchets or pawls are made active upon,the driven member; and thirdly, variable speed devices produced byhydraulic transmission wherein the speed is changed by by-passing someof the fluid used in the transmission, thereby reducing the quantity offlow through the parts for operating the driven member. All of thesedevices have various limitations, among which are included the inabilityof reversing the action upon the driven member, the inability of thedevice to act as a retarding device such s when used as a brake upon anautomobilei descending a hill, and also a. comparatively smalll range ofmaximum and minimum speeds, and a reduction in torque.

Nearly all of such devices are not positive in their action, that is,the speed ratio between the driving and driven members is not maintainedconstant when the variable speed has beenfixed at a desired rotation ofthe driven member. This is usually due to wearing of the parts wherefriction is employed,

to uncertainty of the action of pawls, and to variation in the amount offluid which is bypassed or its uncertain action upon the driven memberthrough slippin or variations in temperature causing a c ange inviscosity and other by-.factors lIn the devices involved in thisinvention, the action upon the driven member is always posltive as aregear driven parts and is sub- ]ect to no variation whatever when thespeed has once been set for the desired rate of rotation for the drivenmember. A further advantage of-m improved variable speed devices is thattlie same may be produced without necessitating the manufacture of alarge number of gears or sets of gears and with the entlre eliminationof beveled or mitered gears or of screw or worm gears in the drivingparts,

A further advantage of the device described herein is that it can becarried in stock in much the same manner as electric motors and can beapplied to meet the requirements ofV various manufacturers of machinesin which variable speedis required, such as may be found in bakingmachinery, conveyors, motor boats where the screw propeller may bevaried between wide lifts when running both in forward and reversedirections as well as to stop the craft and also may be easily adaptedfor use as transmission mechanism in automobiles without the necessityof employing the usual transmission clutch.

Further objects and advantages of my improved mechanism will appear fromconsideration of the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which F 1 is a longitudinal cross sectionalview of a preferred embodiment of the present invention showing theparts in operating position, and being taken substantially on the line1-1 of Fig. 2. In order to better illustrate the relation of certainparts of the apparatus with respect to one another, a section of the camillustrated in this figure and to be described more fully hereinafter,has been taken substantially along the line lA-lA of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken substantiallyalong the` line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the cover at the driven end oftheapparatus removed so as to illustrate the outer face of the cammember and to more fully show the means for supporting this cam member;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken substantiallyalongl the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1, showing the respective positions of the four intermediatedriving:y shafts and the driven shaft;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus taken substantiallyalong the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, illustrating the system of four planetarygears in engagement with the central or sun gear mounted upon the drivenshaft,and also the clutches with which the planetary gears are turned;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view 0f the apparatus taken substantiallyalong the line 6-6 of Fig. l, showing the positions of the fourintermediate driving shafts with respect to the frame or driving elementwhich causes them to revolve about the center line of the apparatus;

Fig. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the apparatus takensubstantially along thev line 7-7 of Fig. 1, with the cover at thedriving end of the apparatus removed;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the frame or driving elementin which the four intermediate driving shafts are mounted takensubstantially along the line 8-8 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the frame or driving element;

. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the cam, showing the respectivepositions and shapes of the Figs. 11-13 inclusive illustrate thepositionsof the cam with respect to the center line of the apparatus andthree studsxupon which the cam is mounted for three typical speedreductions of the apparatus, viz: 100% forward, 50% forward, and 25%rearward, respective- Fig. 14 illustrates one type of clutch teeth;

Fig. 15 illustrates the preferred form of the clutch teeth;

Fig. 16 illustrates another form of clutch, in which a plurality offixed and rotatable frictional elements are employed instead of theserrated teeth of Fig. 14 or the teeth shown in Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is adiagrammatical representation of the cam path positions forseveral speed reductions of the apparatus;

Fig. 18 is a partial longitudinal sectional View of the driven end ofthe apparatus illustrating another form of cam and the means for movingit eccentrically; and

Fig. 19 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line19-19 of Fig. 18.

Broadly speaking, the transmission mechanism which forms the sub'ec ofthis s ecification kcomprises three main elements: (1) the drivingelement, or constant speed element, which is rotated by the source ofpower; (2) the driven element or variable speed element, which isconnected with the apparatus to be driven; and (3) the intermediatedriving elements, which transmit power from the driving element to thedriven element and by means of which the desired speedreductions areobtained.

In the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 indicate respectively the upperand lower halves of a substantially cylindrical outer casing enclosingthe apparatus of the present invention. These two halves of the outercasing may be and preferably are provided with two or more sets ofco-operating lugs 3 and 4, on each side of the center line into whichthe bolts 5 are threaded to fasten the two parts of the outer casingsecurely together. The lower part of the casing is provided with fourbrackets 6, which are adapted to support the apparatus and which aremade with one or more holes 7 thru which a bolt or other means may bepassed to fix the apparat-us firmly in position. The two end faces ofthe outer casing are recessed, as indicated at 8, and are adapted tohave connected thereto the cover plates 9 and 10, at the driving anddriven ends of the apparatus respectively. These cover plates 9 and 10may be s'ecurely fastened to the outer casing by means of cap screws(not shown) or in any well known manner.

The driving shaft 11 of the apparatus is connected to asuitable sourceof power, such, for example, as an electric motor, and is drivingelem/ent 12.

mounted at the outside end of the frame or driving element 12, whichisheld in position on the end of the shaft 11 by means of the nut 13threaded on the end thereof, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1.

As will be more clearly seen in Figs. 8 and i Each of the disks 14 and15 is bored, as indicated at 20 in Figs. 8 and 9, to house ballbearings,as will be described hereinafter. The disk 14 is ,preferably formedintegral with the hub 21, which projects a substantial distancebeyondthe outside face of the ldisk 14 and is reduced, as indicated'at22. The.

driving shaft 11 of the apparatus passes thru this hub 21, as shown inFig. 1, and may be keyed or otherwise securely fastened thereto 'so asto impart a turning motion to the frame 12. rlhe disk 15 is made with acentralopening`23, and is provided with a-hub 24 projecting therefromand is counterbored, as indicated at 25. ln order to `strengthen thedisk 14, webs 26 areprovided which extend from'the hub 21 to the bosses'in which the recess 20 is made. l

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, the means for rotatablysupporting the frame or driving element 12 will now be described. Thecover 9 at the driving-end of the apparatus is provided with aninternally extending hub,27, which carries a. suitable bearing for thehub 21 of the frame, as indicated at 29, which recess is in alignmentwith the reduced end 22 of the hub of the frame 12, so thattheball-bearing races 30 and 31 may be positioned in the cover 9 and thehub 21 of the lframe 12 as'indicated. Ballbearings 32, positionedbetween the races 30 and 31, co-operate therewith to form a suitableball-bearing for one end of the frame or The opposite-end of the flame12 is supported as follows: The'coverl 10 at the driven end Yof theapparatus is providedwith a hub V33, which projects a substantialdistance into the space within the outer casing of the apparatus.l Theend of the hub 33is'cut away, as

indicated at 34, and is provided with screwf threads, as indicatedl at35. The ball-bearing designated generally as 36, and comprising theusual-.balls and races, is mounted on the v hub 33,1and held inpositionby means of the hexagonal nut 37 screwed on the end of the hub.'The'lock washer 38 is provided and has the upper portion thereof 39,bent over one' face of the nut 37 to lock the same-in position.

The ball-bearing 36 is positioned in the recess l25 of the frame 12,thus supporting the lefthand end of the housing.

The driven shaft 4() of the apparatus is connected at one end to themachinery to be operated and the other end extends a substantialdistance into the apparatus and is rotatably supported therein asfollows: The cover plate 10 at the driven endv of the apparatus isrecessed, as indicated at 41, to house the ball-bearing 42, in which-the shaft 40 is rotatably mounted. The driven shaft 40 is also`supported by the' ball-bearing 43, which is positionedin the recess 23of the housing 12.

The circular recesses 20 in the disks 14 and 15 ofthe frame 12 havemounted therein the ball-bearings 44 and 45 respective1y,*as indicatedin Fig. 1. These hall-bearings act as supports for the hollow shafts 46,which ex-. tend thru the frame 12 and project al substantial distancebeyond the outside of the disks 15, as illustrated. The shafts 46 havemounted on them at about the middle of their lengths the ball bearings47. The Aball-bearings 44 are held in position on the hollow shafts 46by means of the bushings 48 and the hexagonal nuts 49 screwed o the endsof the shafts 46 and locked thereo by the lock washers 50. Theball-bearings 47 are held in position on the shafts`46 by means ofbushings 48 and 51. The ball-bearings 45 are held in position by meansof the bushings 51 and .the hub of a crank (to be described fullyhereinafter) which is positioned on the ends of the hollow shafts 46 andprevented from sliding o the same by the'anges 52.

The planetary gears 53 are mounted-:fon

los i by means of the washerr 57 and thembolt 58 v threaded into the endof the driven'shaft.

It will be understood from the description of the apparatus so far giventhat the planetary gears have` two component movements with' respect tovthe central or sun^`gear i mounted on the driven shaft-f (l) The systemof four planetary gears is caused'to revolvel about the driven shaft byvirtue of thefafaclt....--`

that they arel mounted in the frame 12 wllri is rotated by the drivingshaft;- and (2), atjhl of the planetary gears rotates about itsrownaxis. The-resultant rotation of the driven shaft would therefore be thealgebraic sum of these component movements of the planetary gears.

The apparatus now about to be described is thatI which causes theplanetary gears to rotate about their own axes. Clutch members 59 aremounted upon the bushings 48 on the intermediate driving shafts 46 andare' provided with a plurality of radial teeth 60 which are adapted toengage with the teeth 61 provided on the faces of the bushings 54supporting the planetary gears. The intermediate driving shafts 46 andthe bushings 48 mounted thereon have elongated diametrical` 59I isbrought about bythe reciprocation of the rods64 which pass thru'suitableopenings in the keys 63. The rods 64 are of substantial length, asillustrated in. Fig. 1 and have mounted on their right-hand endsspherical members or balls 65 which are positioned in suitable socketsinthe actuating member 66,l

which comprises two disks 67 and 68 having an outline illustratedin Fig.7 and fastened together by means of screws 69. This actuating member isrotatably mounted on the ball-bearing 70 positioned on the interior hubof the cover 9 at an angle, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and is preventedfrom sliding off the hub- 27 by means of'the look n ut 71 and the washer7 As pointed out above, the rotationof the frame 12 by lmeans of thedriving shaft 11 causes the intermediate driving shafts 46 to revolveabout the center line of the apparatus. From this it will beappreciatedthat the actuating member 66` will be rotated ,y about the center lineof the apparatus. D'ue tothe angularity of the said member 66, 1tw1ll`be clear that as this member rotates about the driving shaft the outerbearin gs 65 will oscillate longitudinally, thusv imparting yto ltherods 64 a reciprocating motion, wh1ch, being transmitted to the clutchmembers 59, will cause them alternatelyl to engage. and disengage wit-l1the bushings 54, giving the intermittent motion to the planetary gearsdescribed above. The reciprocation of the clutch members :0n theintermediate driving shafts 56 1s 'ned by the following means: The caps"F3, are! screwed on the sliding rods 64 and l5 into `the ends ofthehollow shafts 46,

as shown in Fig. 1 and locking nuts 74 are screwed on the sliding rods64 to prevent displacement of the caps 73. HelicalA springs arepositioned onthe sliding rods? 64 and `abut against the inside faces `ofthe caps 73 and against the faces of the keys 63, as shown. Lockin nuts76 are screwed on the opposite ends o ythe sliding rods 64 and preventthe keys 63 from beingdis'placed toward the left` han'd ends of the rods64.

The angularity of the actuating member 66 and the distances between thecaps 75 and the locking nuts-76 are such as to cause engagement betweenan one clutch member 59 and its adjacent bus ing 54 to. take place,

while the intermediate driving shafts 46 -upon which these members aremounted reequal to`100,o minus 90 or 10.

The above mentioned anglev of 100 may be varied as desired by adjustingthe distances between the caps 75 and the locking nuts 76 on `thesliding rods 64. It will be understood that the shorter this distanceis, theusponer the clutch members 59 will be disengaged and the smallerthis angle will bme', and Ivice versa.'

Itwill be appreciated from the` above description of thel means foractuating the clutches that the angularly mounted actuating memberrotating constantly causes the clutch members 59 to bemoved during mostof the rotation of the driven shaft. Thus the actuating member and theclutch members are moving before the clutches are actuyally engaged sothat there is no sudden functioningy of these parts of the apparatuswhen the two partso the clutch mechanism are brought to ether which'would cause, in the ycase of hig speed machinery, objectionablevibration.

It will be understood that'if the planetary gears 53 are revolving aboutthe central or sun gear 56 in a counterclockwise direction, and theplanetary gears are given a rotation about their own axes in a clockwisedirection the resultant rotation of the central gear 56 will beproportionate to the arithmetical sum of these two movements of theplanetary gears'. On the other hand, if the planetary gears are' given arotation about their own axes in ar counter-clockwise direction, theywill have a tendency tordecrease the speed lof the central or sun gear56, which will be promounted on the ends of the intermediate' drivingshafts 446 and held in position thereon by means yof flanges 52. Thesecranks cooperate with the bushings 51 on the shafts 46 to hold theball-bearings 45in position, asl

As will be more clearly.

referred to above. seen in Fig. 3, the cranks 77 comprise bushings 78mounted on the -shafts 46 and fastened thereto by means A(if the keys79, and arms 80, which are connected to bosses 81 positioned on thesides of the arms opposite that on which the bushings 80 lie.

Suitable ball-bearings 82 are mounted on the hubs 81 and held inposition thereon by means of the washers 83 and the screws 84, asillustrated in lFig. 1. The ball-bearings 82 are positioned in a groove85 cut into the face of the cam member 86.l The groove 85 issubstantially circular in shape, being slightly modified so as to causecranks 77 to impart to the gears mounted on their shafts a uniformoscillatory motion without speed fluctuations when Vthe clutches 59 areengaged.

The cam 86 has three slots, 87, 88 and 89,

cut therein, in which are positioned three roll:Y

ers. 90, 91 and 92, to support the cam. These rollers are mounted uponthe ends of suitable-pins, as indicated at 93 in Fig. 1, which pins arethreaded and have mounted on one end the nuts 94 to hold them in place.The annular member 95 (see Fig. 1) is fastened tothe outside face of thecam 86 by the screws 96 l(see Fig. 2)f and hascut therein a series ofgear teeth, as indicated at 97 The pinion 98 engages with the teeth 97and is rotatably mounted upon the pin 93. Rotation of the pinion 98 andthe cam 86 is obtained by means of the worm 99 on the shaft 100, whichis sup,- ported lin the brackets 101 formed in the lower part of.theouter casing` and the cover 1-0 The shaft 100 passes thru a suitablestuffing box 102 and the stuffing box gland 103 and has connected to itsouter end convenient means for rotating it, such as hand wheel 104.

It will be appreciated that when the shaft 4100 is rotated by the endwheel 104 to rotate the cam 86 the groove 85 in the cam must be movedeccentrically in respect to thecenter line ofthe apparatus so that thecranks 77 will be`oscillated to impart a rotation to the planetary gears53. ment of the cam y86 is accomplished by virtue of the peculiar shapesof the slots 87, 88 and 89. The slot 87 is concentric with the centervthe position shown in lline of the apparatus.

This, eccentric moveline ofthe apparatus, the slot 89 isstraight, whilethe slot 88 is curved, as shown more'` clearly in Fig. 10, and is amodification of the shapes of slots 87 and 89 to accommodate the thirdsupporting pin for the cam 86. In Fig. 10, the center of the cam-surface85 coincides with the center If the cam 86 is rotated by means of thearrangement described above, the pins 90, 92 and 91 in their respectiveslots 87, 89 and 88 will advance thru the successive positions indicatedby the series of circles in each of the slots in'Fig. 10, and due to theshapes of the slots the center of the cam groove 85 will liesuccessively at the places indicated by the small crosses adja cent thecenter line of the apparatus.

The amplitudes of the oscillations of the cranks 77 will beproportionate to the eccentricities of the cam groove 85.

In the apparatus shown and described herein, it is possible to obtainany variation of speed from 100% forwardto 25% rearward, depending uponthe setting of the cam 86. It will be appreciated by one'skilled in theart that by increasing the length of the slots 87, 88 and 89, anincrease of speed may be obtained, and this increase may be as high as25% of the driving speed.

The relative positionsof the pins 90, 92 and 91 in the slots 87, 89`and88 for three typical speeds, such as 100% forward, 50% forward and 25%rearward, are illustrated in Figs. 11-13 respectively.

In Fig. 11, representing 100% forward speed, it will be seen that thesupporting pins 90, 91 and 92 are positioned at one end of the slots 87,88 and 89; while in Fig. 12, representing 50% forward speed, these pinsare in an intermediate position in the slots; and in Fig. 13,representing `25% rearward speed, the `pins are positioned at theopposite ends of the slots.

As will beclearly seen from Fig. 13, the hub 33 has been flattened, asindicated at|105, so as to provide clearance for the cam when the latteris placed in its most eccentric position.

with and disengaging from bushings 54, these two parts are revolvingatapproximately the same speed, so that there is no tendency for one toslide past the ,other and to cause-injury to the teeth.

The form4 of teeth illustrated in Fig. 14 will be suitable, but it maybe -desirable to make the teeth with parallel sidesand pointed ends androots, as illustrated in Fig. 15. This form of teeth facilitates theready'engagefment of the clutch members 59 withings 54 and at the sametime does away'with any substantial force tending to separate these twoparts, such as might arise in connection with the use of thewedge-shaped ""hshown in Fig. 14.

...D cover plates 9 and 10 are provided witllcaps 106 which are screwedor otherwise While the clutch members 59 are engaging I washer 110 onthe'driven shaft 40.

In order tov prevent leakage of any lubricating matter around thedriving and driven shafts, suitable packing 111 is placed in the caps106 and held in position therein by means of washers 112 and retainingrings 113, which may be'and preferably are resilient members engaged insuitable as illustrated.

The fragmentary cross-section shown `in Fig. 16 illustrates a modifiedform of clutch mechanism in which two sets of co-operating disks. 114are employed. One set of disks are splined on the sleeves 115 which are`slidingly mounted on the hollow shafts 46, while the other set of disksare splined to the bushings 116 to which the planetary gears 53 arefastened, as described'above. Reciprocation' grooves in the caps 106,

of the clutch members 59 by the oscillation of the sliding rods 64causes the two sets of-,disks 114 to contact with and separate. from oneanother successively to drive the planetary gears 53.

In this form of clutch the resilient springs.

117, mounted on the sliding rods 64 and abutting against the lock nuts'118 and the keys 63, areemployed to relieve the pressure between thetwo sets of disks. Since the two sets of disks engage and disengagewhile bein rotated at the same speed, no rubbingo one setof disksagainst the other set will occur,

thus assuring the long-l life of the clutchmechanism. y A

F ig'. v'17 is a diagrammatical representatioon of the cam pathpositions for several of the speed reductions and is plotted as follows:From the point o a vertical line 0-0 is drawn. The distancel "0-!o.equal to the length of the cranks 77, which is equivalent angle of 50oto the distance between the center line'of the intermediate drivingshafts 46 and the center` line of the ball-bearings 82 which operatehinthe cam groove 85, is laid off to the left of o anda line 00 drawnthrough these points.

With the line 01"#0 as a; center line, an is laid out on each side ofthis line, as shown in the drawing. The entire angle thus represented(100) is approximately the angle thru which the frame or`\ drivingelement 12 revolves while any vone clutch member 59 is in en agement.The angle thus formed is diviad into twenty /'qualparts, as shown.,Withl a. radius e ual to the distance o-o., an arc is drawn t ru thepoint o with point o as, the center, which the cam arc is labeled 100%forward. Five more curves, indicated as 7 5% forward to 25% rearwardrespectively are drawn, as shown, representing the middle of the camgroove 85 for the various eccentric positions of the cam to produce theindicated speed reductions.

As pointed out above,` the cam groove 85 is not made exactly circularbecause this form of groove would cause a viluctuating speed to., begiven to the driven shaft. As it is desirable to have the driven shaftrotate at a constant speed for any given speed reduction,

roove 85 deviates slightly from the circular orm, as shown in Fig. 10.`

In order better to illustrate'the object ,of` this cam diagram, thecranks 77 are indicated by the dottedlines. Point o of'this figurecorresponds to the center line of the. ballbearings 82 which move inthecam groove 85 l and the point o represents thecenter li`ne of theintermediate driving shafts 46.

The points at which the sub-divisions of the 100"VV angle intersect the100% forward arc are labeled on one side of the point o as 0a, 0b, etc.,to 0j, and on thev other side of the pointo as oa', ab', etc., to 0j.These points indicate the successive positions of the point 0,representing the center line of the intermediate driving shafts 46 asthese shafts re volve thru the 100o angle indicated.

With the points oa, ob, etc., aseenters, the arcs a-a, 6 6, etc., aredrawn on one side of the central point-0, and on the'other side Withthepoints oa', ob', etc., as centers,the arcs a-a, b-b, etc., are drawn.The dis'-l tances between the intersections. of anyone of'thesearcs,'such as the are f f, with the six arcs representing the cam'pathpositions, indicated as 100% forward to 25% rear- A-F inclusive, showthe comparative oscillations' of the cam roller 82 for the various ec-vcentricities of the cam surface 85 when the center lines of theintermediates driving shafts are at the point of.

With the int o as a center, arcs are drawn thru t e oints A-F inclusive,which arcs intersect te arc g-g at the points -F"in'clusive. In the sameway the arcs G-.-G to K-K are drawn with the point o as a center. Itwill be seen from this diagram that the amounts of the oscillation ofthe cam roller 82 varies as the eccentricity of the cam surface isvaried. This is represented on the diagram by the difference in thedistancesl B-G, C"-H, D-I, EL-J, F-K,y measuredI along the arc ge-g., Itwill also be seen that the distance Fv-K on the arc g-g and the distanceK-L on the arc ILL-h are equal. This indicates that the angular movementand therefore the angular velocity of the cranks 77l remain constant,ywhile thepoint o indicating at the center line of the'A cam roller 82moves along the arc of the caps four equally labeled 100% forward fromthe point F to the point L. In other Words, the speed of rotation of theplanetary gears about their own axes is. constant While the frame ordriving element 12 revolves thru the 100o angle represented in thediagram.

In view of the above description, the operation of the present apparatusmay be described briefly as follows Vhen the' cam 86 is in its centralor concentric postion and the driving shaft 11 is connected with a'suitable source of power', the driven shaft 40 -Will be rotated at thesame speed as the driving shaft. The frame or driving element 12,connected to the driving shaft 11, will be rotated at the speed of thelatter and will cause the four intermediate driving shafts 46 to revolveabout the center line of the apparatus, carrying izvith them theplanetary gears 53. The actuating member 66, being connected with theintermediate driving shafts 46 thru the medium of the four sliding rods64, will be caused to rotate in angular relation with the driving shaft11.

As hereinbefore explained, this rotation of the actuating member 66causes the sliding rods 64 to reciprocate back and forth, resulting inthe intermittent engagement of the clutch members 59 With the bushings54, upon which the planetary gears 53 are mounted. While any one clutchis in engagement with its associated bushing, the driving element 12 anddriving member 66 rotate thru an angle of approximately 100?, and sincethere are spaced intermediate driving shafts 46 with the clutch members59 mounted thereon, at least one clutch Will always be in engagement.

The duration of the engagement, as described above, is determined by theangularityof the actuating member 66 with respect to the driving shaft11 and the relative positions 73 and the locking nuts 76 on the slidingrods 64. It will of course be appreciated that While four intermediatedriving shafts have been employed in the present embodiment, eitherless' than or more than this number of shafts may be employed, and theperiod of engagement of each of the clutches should be varied so that atleast one clutch Will be in engagement during the rotation of thedriving element.

Since the cam 86 is in its central or concentric position, the planetarygears 53 will not be given an independent rotation about their own axesthrough the medium of the cranks 77, because the rollers 82 on the endsofv these cranks are travelling in a path concentric With the path ofrotation of the intermediate driving shafts 46 and the driven vshaft 40will be rotated at the same speed as the driving shaft 11, thuspreventing rotation of the intermediate gears and so locking the drivingshaft With the driven shaft.

When the cam 86 is placed in an eccentric position, the rollers 82traveling in the cam groove 85 move ina path which is not concentricwith the path of the revolution of theintermediate driving shafts 46about the centerline of the apparatus and consequently impartoscillation to the intermediate driving shafts, which oscillation istransmitted in one direction to the planetary gears 54. This rotation ofthe planetary gears 53 may be in such a .direction as to rotate thedriven gear 56.in the direction in Which it is beingrotated by therevolution of the planetary ge ars about the center line of theapparatus so as to increasethe speed of the driven shaft, or it may bein a direction op osite to that in which the driven gear 56 is eingrotated by this revolution of the planetary gears, in which case thedriven shaft will be rotated at a reduced speed. It Will be understoodthat the speed and direction of rotation of the driven shaft iscontrolled by .the direction and amount of the eccentricity of the cam86.

As pointed out above, the apparatus may be designed so that the drivenshaft may be rotated in the same direction as the driving shaft and atan increased speed, or it may be brought to a stand-still or rotated inthe opposite direction at speeds proportionate to the speed of thedriving shaft. i

Where the apparatus described herein is to be used in an installation inwhich it is not essential that the driven shaft have an absoluteconstant speed for an given speed reduction, a simplified form o cam maybe employed. As illustrated in Figs. 18 and 19, a cam 120 having a 'truecircular groove 121' cut therein, is pivotally mounted at its upper endupon the pin 122, which is securely held in the lugs 123 preferablyformed integral With the outer casing of the apparatus.

The means for swinging the cam 120 about the pin 122 so as to positionthe cam groove 121 eccentric to the centerline of the apparatus aresimilar to those previously illustrated and described. A segment 124,suitably connected to the cam, by means not shown, and having gear teeth125 cut therein engages with the Worm 126 which is rotated by ahandwheel as described above. Rotation of the hand Wheel will cause thecam to be moved about the pin 122 so as to place the cam in an eccentricposition, such as is shown in Fig. 19. Therefore, when the drivingelement 12 is caused to rotate and carries With it the cranks ,7 7 therollers 82 will travel in the cam gro0ve121, and due to the eccentricitythereof, they will be oscillated and Will impart to the intermediatedriving shafts 46 a rotation which according to its direction willincrease or decrease the speed of the driven shaft in proportion to theeccentricity ofthe cam setting.

Having thus described this `form of my invention, .l do not Wish to beunderstood as being iiinited to 'the ldetails of form and arrangement ofparts set forth, for various changes may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of my invention.

W at IV claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for transmitting ower at variable speeds from a driving shat to a driven shaft, comprising a driving element mounted on saiddriving shaft, intermediate elements rotatably carried by said drivingelement, a driven element mounted on said driven shaft and engaging saidintermediate elements, means rotatably mounted in said driving-elementfor intermittently and successively engaging said intermediate elementsto rotate the same and means for imparting a uniform speed of rotationto said rotatable means.

2. A device for transmitting power atfva riable speeds from a drivingshaft to a driven shaft comprising, a driving element mounted on saiddriving shaft, intermediate elements rotatably carried by said drivingelement, a driven element mounted on said driven shaft and engaging saidintermediate elements, ro-

tatable members connected with said intermediate elements and adapted torotate the `same whereby said driven shaft is rotated and means forrotat-ing said members independently of the rotation of said drivingelement, said means being adapted to impart av uniform speed of rotationto said members. 3. A device for transmitting ower'at variable speedsfrom a driving sha t to adriven shaft, comprising a driving element`mounted on said driving shaft, intermediate elements rotatably carriedby said driving element, a driven element mounted on said driven shaftand engagin said intermediateelements, rotatable mem ers connected withsaid intermediate' elements and adapted to rotate the same whereby saiddriven shaft is rotated and means for rotating said membersindependently of the rotation ofsaid driving element, the ends of saidmembers being constrained to rotate in a predetermined path to move saidmembers and means for varying said'path to obtain the desired speedreductions, said constrained movement being adapted to impart a uniformspeed of rotation to said members. p v

4. A device for transmitting power at variable speeds from a drivingshaft to a driven shaft, comprising a driving element mounted on saiddriving shaft, intermediate shafts rotatably carried by said drivingelement', inter- .fmediate elements mounted on said interme- V diateshafts, a driven element mounted on said driven shaft and engaging saidintermediate elements, rotatable members mounted on said M 'intermediateshafts and adapted to rotate the Same, means for rotating vsaid membersindependently of the rotation of said driving element, the ends of saidmembers being con- .strained to move in a predetermined path to notatesaid members and means for varying `said path to obtain the desiredspeed reductions, said constrained movement being adapted to impart auniform speed of rotation to said members. 5. A device for transmittingpower at variable speeds from a driving shaft to a driven shaft,comprising a driving element mounted on said driving shaft, intermediateshafts rotatably carried by said driving-element, in- Y, termediateelements mounted'on said interme- =diate shafts, a driven elementmounted on said driven shaft and engaging said intermediate elements,rotatable members mounted onl said intermediate shafts and adapted torotate 'the same, means for rotating said members independently of therotation of said'driving element, and a member adapted to be movedindependently of the rotation of said driving and driven shafts andengaging the ends of said members along a predetermined path to rotatesaid members, said path being designed t0 cause said members to have auniform speed of rotation.

6. A device for transmitting power at -variable speeds from a drivingshaft to a driven shaft, comprising a driving element vmounted on saiddriving shaft, intermediate elements rotatably carried -by said drivingelement,.a driven element mounted von said driven shaft meansintermittently andsuccess'ively engaging said intermediate elements torotate the and engaging said intermediate elements same, and means forvarying the rotation of said intermediate elements'during saidengagement independently of the rotation of said driving element, saidvarying means comprising a cam and followers connected with saidengaging means, said cam having a predetermined shape such as to rotatesaid intermediate elements at constant-speed during the engagement. f A7. A device for transmitting power at variable speeds from a drivingshaft to a driven shaft,comprising a driving element mounted on saiddriving shaft, intermediate elements rotatably' carried by said drivingelement, a -driven element mounted on said driven shaft and yengagingsaid intermediate elements,

means intermittently and successively engaging said intermediateelements to rotate the same and means connected with said engaging meansand adapted to be moved angularly and inde endentlyl of the rotation ofsaid driving eiement and means for imparting a uniform angular velocityto the last named means.

8. A device for transmitting power at variable speedsfrom adriving-shaft to a drivenl shaft, comprising a driving element mountedon said'dr'l'fving shaft, intermediate elements rotatably carried bysaid driving element, a

drivenfvelement mounted on said driven shaftl and engaging saidintermediate elements, means intermittently and successively e inglsaidintermediateelements to rotate the same, an actuating member angularlymounted with respect to said driving shaft and rotated by said drivingelement and adapted by the rotation thereof to actuate said engagingmeans, members adapted to be moved angularly and independently of therotation of said driving element during said engagement to causerotation of said engaging means and means for moving said members withuniform angular velocity, said latter means comprising acam adapted tobe moved eccentrically to the axis of said shafts.

9. A device for transmitting power at variable speeds from a drivingshaft to a driven shaft, comprising a driving element mounted on saiddriving shaft, intermediate elements rotatably carried by said drivingelement, a driven element mounted on said driven shaft and engaging saidintermediate elements,y

means intermittently and successively engaging said intermediateelements to rotate the same and means connected to said engaging meansand adapted to be moved angularly at a constant speed with relation tothe speed of said driving element to rotate said intermediate elementsuniformly during said engagement.

10. A device for transmitting fpower at variable speeds from a drivingsha to a driven shaft, comprising a driving element mounted on saiddrivin shaft, intermediate gears rotatably carrie by said drivingelement, rotatable shafts on which said gears are carried, a driven gearmounted on said driven shaft and engaging said intermediate gears,clutches intermittently and successively engaging said intermediategears to rotate the same, and their respective periods of engagementbeing such that at least one of said intermediate gears shall be fixedon its shaft at any time during the rotation of said drivingelement,means for controlling said periods of engagement, cranks connected withsaid clutches and a cam engaging said cranks and adapted to be movedtransversely With respect to the axis of rotation of said drivinelement, said cam having a predetermine shape such as to rotate saidclutches uniformly during the engagement with said gears.

11. A device for transmitting ower at variable speeds from a driving shato a driven shaft, comprising a driving element mounted on said drivingshaft, intermediate gears rotatably carried by said driving element,rotatable shafts on which said gears are carried, a driven gear mountedon said driven shaft and engaging said intermediate gears, clutchescarried on said shafts and intermittently and successively engaging saidintermediate gears to rotate the same, an oscillating actuating memberrotated by said driving element and adapted to actuate said clutches,adjustable means connected between said the number of said intermediategears clutches and said actuating member, adjustment of said means beingada ted to vary said periods of engagement, ra 1al arms carried by saidshafts and adapted to be moved angularl and independently of therotation of said riving lelement to control the rotav

